General Assembly’s Business Development Caucus holds annual Founders Meeting

April 18, 2014

General Assembly’s Business Development Caucus holds annual Founders Meeting

Members announce summer business town-hall agenda and authorize new Political Action Committee

(Richmond, Tuesday April 8, 2014)

The creators of the Virginia General Assembly’s first ever Business Development Caucus held their annual BDC Founders Conference in Richmond this week to evaluate 2014 achievements and develop strategy going forward.Delegates Chris Head (R-Botetourt), David Ramadan (R-Loudoun), Michael Webert (R-Fauquier), and former Delegate Mike Watson (R-James City), kicked off their meeting in the General Assembly Office building Tuesday evening by reviewing the success of several BDC initiatives introduced this year. “We had another very successful year for addressing issues that were brought to us by Virginia businesses”, said BDC Chairman Delegate Head. “We set out to give employers a direct voice in the legislative process and its rewarding when we can deliver results”.

This session’s BDC legislative agenda included bills drafted by eight of its 26 bi-partisan members, including former Delegate Watson whose drafts were patroned by others.Several initiatives found success through negotiated agreement and/or passing into law.Among them were BPOL Categorization disputes, SCC and Business One-Stop reform, SCC Security, Intellectual Property service disclosures, State Agency competition with private sector, business property taxes, and more.“I was especially pleased to resolve an issue brought by constituents who found themselves competing against the state for certain business and to take the first of a series of incremental steps to reform BPOL”, said former Delegate Watson who serves as BDC Chairman Emeritus.“I’m grateful to colleagues who carried my bills this session and enjoyed testifying alongside them in committee”.

The members also set the agenda for this summer’s BDC business town hall meetings.The five venues selected include York County (8/28), Abington (9/9), NOVA (9/28), Martinsville (TBD), and Virginia Beach (TBD).Past town halls have ranged from 20 to 40 businesses, large and small, represented at each event.In addition to BDC members, other legislators are invited who represent nearby regions of each venue.According to Delegate Ramadan, the BDC “wants to put legislators from both parties in front of employers this summer to hear first-hand, what we can do to help them create jobs”.

Another outcome of Tuesday’s meeting were plans to create a new political action committee.The ‘BDC Founders PAC’ will raise funds to support candidates who take an active role in BDC events, support its initiatives, and have a strong pro-business, pro-job growth voting record.“Expanding opportunity through job growth is our highest priority and we want to see more legislators that have and will demonstrate these same principles”, said Delegate Webert.

The Business Development Caucus was founded in 2012 with the mission of ‘identifying and introducing legislation to promote entrepreneurship and job growth in the Commonwealth.’Its membership includes legislators from both parties and chambers and is supported by organizations including the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Americans for Prosperity, and the National Federation of Independent Business.In its first two years, members have met with representatives of nearly 250 businesses at 11 town hall meetings in venues around the state.Business leaders wishing to learn more or to reserve their seat at a BDC Business Town Hall event can visit www.BDCVA.org.